1899. Whiteing, John St., xvi. They have that to give which is wanted by Every mother's son.
Song, subs. (common).—A trifle;
a nominal sum or price: also an
old (or mere) song.
1598. Shakspeare, All's Well, iii. 2, 8. I know a man that had this trick of melancholy sold a goodly manor for a song.
d.1719. Addison, Works [Ency. Dict.]. A hopeful youth, newly advanced to great honour, was forced by a cobbler to resign for an old song.
1888. Globe, 2 Sep. Evergreen, who was bought for a mere song.
1901. St. James's Gaz., 5 Mar., 5, 1. Ships, like everything else, grow old. Though they cost a round million to build, they are sold for a song when obsolete.
To change one's song (or sing another song), verb. phr. (common).—To tell a different tale (Grose): see Sing. Also 'His morning and evening song do not agree' = 'He tells another yarn at night to the one in the morning.'
Sonkey, subs. (common).—A
clumsy fellow; a lout; also sonk,
sonky, and sonkie.
Sonnie (Sonny or Sonnikin),
subs. (common).—An affectionate
or familiar address: with no
necessary reference to age or
relationship. Also (nautical)
sonniwax or sonnywax.
1542. Udal, Erasmus, 233. This word paidion, sonnekin . . . tripped a little in his tongue.
1896. Paterson, Man from Snowy River, 10. Weel, weel, don't get angry, my Sonny.
Sool, verb. (Australian).—1. To
excite a dog; to set him on. 2.
= to worry, as a dog a cat.
1896. Mrs. Parker, Ans. Leg. Tales, 90. She went softly towards her camp, calling softly . . . 'Sool 'em, sool 'em' . . . the signal for the dogs to come out.
Soot-bag, subs. phr. (Hotten).—A
reticule.
Sooterkin, subs. (old).—1. See
quot. 1755 (B. E.). Hence (2)
an abortive proposal or scheme.
1673. Dryden, Remarks on Emp. of Morocco. He has all the pangs and throes of a fanciful poet, but is never delivered of any more perfect issue of his phlegmatick brain than a dull Dutch woman's sooterkin is of her body.
1678. Butler, Hudibras, iii. ii. 146. For knaves and fools b'ing near of kin, As Dutch boors are t'a sooterkin.
1726. Pope, Dunciad, i. 126. All that on Folly Frenzy could beget, Fruits of dull heat, and sooterkins of wit.
1755. Johnson, Eng. Dict., s.v. Sooterkin. A kind of false birth fabled to be produced by Dutch women from sitting over their stoves.
Sop, subs. (old).—-1. A bribe;
e.g., a sop to Cerberus = a
doorkeeper's or porter's tip (q.v.).
1513. Douglas, Æneis, vi. 60. Cerberus, the hiddus hund . . . Quham til the prophetes . . . A sop stepit intill hunny . . . gan cast.
1670. Howard, Committee, iv. 1. You unconscionable Rascal . . . do you want some Fees? I'll perish . . . before throwing Sops to such Curs.
1695. Congreve, Love for Love, i. 4, 17. If I can give that Cerberus a sop, I shall be at rest for one day.
1697. Dryden, Æneis, Postscr. Even Cerberus when he had received the sop, permitted Æneis to pass.
d.1745. Swift, Works [Century]. To Cerberus they give a sop, His triple barking mouth to stop.
1773. Foote, Nabob, i. There is but one way of managing here: I must give the Cerberus a sop, I suppose.
1825. H. Smith, Gaities and Grav. I will throw down a napoleon as a sop to Cerberus.
